This disclosure relates generally to computer software and, more specifically, to a system and method for script driven, web-based management of computer network resources.
A computer network connects devices that provide a variety of services to each other and to users. Each device is generally controlled by an operating system (which may be different on different devices) and associated with one or more of the services. In order for these services to be delivered, the devices and their services need to be configured. In networks that include a large number of devices or are spread over a large geographical area, the configuration of services is ideally accomplished remotely.
However, remotely configuring services presents a number of difficulties, particularly with respect to legacy services (e.g., services that are already in use). For example, on most operating systems, the services are configured through an ad hoc collection of utilities, registration settings, and files scattered throughout the associated operating system. This makes it difficult to modify a service's configuration. Furthermore, services may be interdependent. For instance, if an address (e.g., an internet protocol (IP) address) associated with a device is changed, each service that references that address may need to have its configuration files modified to reflect the change. Once the configuration files are modified, the services generally must be stopped and restarted in a specific order for the modifications to take effect.
Because of these and other difficulties, a relatively large amount of programming is generally needed to manage services in a uniform manner. Such programming increases the time and expense associated with configuring services and decreases the efficiency of remotely configuring services.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved method and system for remotely managing the configuration of network resources, including services.